Elisa Maza (Disney)

When I was growing up, I didn't receive much feedback on my gender from my family. My femininity, I feel, was neither encouraged or discouraged. If anything, I was rewarded for both crafty art work and masculine active work.

With my grandmother I painted and baked, but with my father I dwelled in the garage. Sometimes I decorated cakes, and sometimes I helped dad tear down the Camaro.

I think that positive feedback from all of my activities has made me comfortable doing whatever I enjoy. As a child I looked for role models with which I could identify.

I was never a big fan of cartoon princesses; they didn't seem to do much (Ariel the Little Mermaid being the exception- she was pretty rebellious). I found that Elisa from the 1994 series Gargolyes was a strong female role model (and, surprisingly, from Disney). She was a skeptical, intellegent, daring female detective on the NYPD. She is feminine, but strong; attractive but realistic (compare Elisa's waist:hip to Blonde Phantom's waist:hip).

Elisa never suggested to me as a little girl that there was anything that I couldn't do as a woman.